Huh? What's Up With That?

oddities, observations, & ?'s...#11                                                                 24      Regina and I ventured south to see our grandson, Leo, play the part of the Scarecrow as never before portrayed in the classic,  The Wizard of Oz .  Of course, he was the star of the show.  But, there were a lot of grandparents in the audience, so, I imagine Leo was not a unanimous choice for  Best Actor .      Driving south, we stopped at a McDonald's for a cup of coffee in Calhoun, Georgia. A large sign on the cash stand said, Please order at the kiosk.      I wanted to pay cash, so, we stood at the cash register waiting for service.  Several workers standing at the drive up window looked at us, looked away, looked at us once more, then, dispers...

  allan's mom...                      I met Allan's mom 16 years ago when she was a high school sophomore in my Mass Media class at Franklin Central High School in Indianapolis, Indiana.     The following semester, Allan's mom would become a staff member of the school's educational broadcast facility,  WRFT-FM  , as well as FCTV, the school's in-house television connection.  By the end of her senior year in college, she would be talented enough to be seated at the news anchor desk of many commercial television stations.   Allan's mom is also known as Kayla Marie Sullivan.   HUH ?  What's up with that ?    Lights, camera, action! are part of Kayla's DNA.  Her high school stage career included the part of, Reno Sweeney , in the musical, Anything Goes , and,  Mrs. Peacock  in Clue .   Awards that speak of her talent and ability have followed Kayla...

thought of a legacy?...                                                                       I thought it would be off putting or invasive to coax strangers into revealing how they want to be remembered after spinning off the mortal coil, but, the opposite proved to be more accurate.   HUH ?  What's up with that ?    It seemed each person I approached returned my greeting with a positive attitude and willingness to share their thoughts by offering something like, Oh, sure, what do you want to know ?      Carl George, one of my brothers, said he thought legacies would make an interesting subject.  He was right.    Many of my interviewees had put considerable thought into my question long before I came along.  I posed the same question to each person: ...

job$ somebody's gotta do...                                                                     A swimming pool is not something that has ever appeared on any wish list penned by me or Regina.  During our house hunting years, we toured an Open House or two with a pool in the backyard, but, they weren't our lifestyle.      However, that is not to say we don't appreciate the value or beauty of a swimming pool in some settings.     When I was much younger, I always associated a home with a swimming pool as an upper end home or a luxury item for the stars in Hollywood.     Of course, if we had owned a pool, it would have required maintenance a minimum of twice a year and that is an issue by itself.  When it comes to general repairs around the ranch, we call the peo...

a retired judge...                                                                 According to the National WWII Museum ,  Since  1 988, The United States Congress and the president have annually issued resolutions and proclamations declaring March as Women in History Month.       Rather than highlight women from the past who led by example and were considered role models, today's post, as in previous March posts, features the accomplishments of a contemporary figure.  A woman who has made her own bit of history.   A   doctor, two barbers, a housewife, an airline pilot, and, a structural engineer for UPS, all women, have been featured in this blog during  Women in History Month .    This year, the spotlight is on a woman who recently retired from the judicial branch of gove...

oddities, observations,& ?'s...#10                           Venice was the final stop on our four city tour of Italy last October and it was just as memorable as Florence, Rome, or, Assisi.   Serenissimo  is a place unlike any other we had seen because of its waterways and canals where roads and streets would be in any other city in the world.  The Adriatic Sea supplies the water to the canals.    Walking out of a building in Venice onto a sidewalk the width of a two-lane road was the norm unless you exited a structure that wasn't facing a canal.  If I had walked beyond the width of the sidewalk, I would have been taking a dip in an avenue of water.  Cross streets (canals), were crossed on arched pedestrian walkways.   Gondolas and water taxis were our transportation for 48 hours.     Our first  night in Venice, a water taxi ferried a group of us to a lo...

    nashville art...                     One of our favorite events in the fall is the St. James Court Art Show.  The weather has been perfect the past two or three years, but, regardless of the climate, the show goes on.      According to its own website, The St. James Court Art Show is a juried fine arts and contemporary crafts show featuring over 600 artists from around the United States.      The setting for the show is the country's largest collection of Victorian homes located in historic, Old Louisville.  Typically, in excess of 300,000 people attend the three day event.    As we walked among the crowded streets among yesterday's mansions last October, we were passing judgement on various creations highlighted in different booths when Regina noticed a particular piece of art and said, I think this guy would be a great interview for you.   The two of us   were st...